HELP! Dropouts / short freeze with unwaranted CPU-spikes

[mogens94]

I am having problems with sudden jumps/spikes in CPU, it's would be steadily at 1-3% (!) and then suddently, for no apparent reason jumps to something like 200% or even 700%+ for a fraction of a second, causing the sound to stutter and hang for about 0.3sec.

This occurs regardless of amount of data/clips etc, from just two tracks and one wav to a whole live-project with 200+ files and a few Live-plugins. And regardless if I'm just playing back sound, fondeling with plugins/sends (only Live-plugins so far) or just simply recording a track in a whole new project with nothing else running/active.

I had similar problems earlier but thought it was soundcard or laptop related. I bought a new soundcard, NI Komplete Audio 6 AND a brand new PC Laptop, MSI CR620 with Intel Core i3, 2.13GHz, 3MB cache (I think 2GB RAM), running Windows 7, strictly for music-production and live-use. Running Live 8.2.1. (BTW - this spikes/dropouts also occurs with my desktop PC, running Live 8.2.2, and that's 8GB RAM and 4-core processor.. so this can NOT be a "real" CPU problem!?).

On my Komplete Audio soundcard-diagnostics it usually gives me "173 usb buffer underruns", for each CPU-spike/jump/dropout. Also, strangely enough, I can not see this being registered in the CPU Performance-diagnostics on the Windows Task Manager (allthough previously I think I might have seen it registered there.. but not with my latest tests).

I also disabled all kinds of stuff like network card, webcam, antivirus and about all I can think of.

My soundcard-diagnostics suggests to increase the USB Buffer etc, but I seem to have tried all kinds of different settings there with no effect. Someone PLEASE tell me you have some kind of idea or suggestive soloution for this.. I allready had to abort one important gig from this and I'm so tired of having computerproblems at this point.

ANY feedback or help is immensly appreciated - I need to fix this as I have two more concerts coming up soon!

[pwoolar]

any VSTs? more importantly, any pirated or otherwise illicitly acquired VSTs?

[Scaper7]

I had very similar (identical) issues with the AK1, the predecessor of Komplete audio 6. Similar issues are widely reported with Kontrol S4. I tried everything suggested by NI to 'fix' the issue by disabling services etc, even replaced my laptop mobo but the only thing that helped was using another soundcard (non NI). I've never had a dropout, glitch or CPU spike since, and I can happily stream data/video online now without audio being affected. NI likes to make out all these problems are a 'normal' part of running audio on Windows and nothing to do with their technology, however these issues simply don't exist running other soundcards on my system. I'm convinced it's an NI specific issue after my experience.

My advice ... try another soundcard (borrow one if necessary) and see if you still have problems. Might seem like a hassle but it could save you months of pissing in the wind trying to get smooth performance out of your current setup.

I now run a MOTU soundcard which run flawlessly on my system.

[MarkvW]

I would not recommend a Komplete Audio 6. Too much clicking noise.

[mogens94]

Hm. Thanx for your replies. I'm a little sceptic to dissmissing it as just a soundcard-problem, because I have the same kind of problems (plus a big bluescreen-crash actually) with M-Audio FW410. But that's not a good card either. My friend has a.. M-box I think and also have this kind of stutter/spikes. And another one, actually with a MOTU-card, also expreienced similar stuff.

I'm only running the Ableton plugins allthough there might be a WaveLab-crack installed on the computer somewhere, but that shouldn't really matter?

What kind of Motu-card are you running, Scraper7? And does anyone have other recommendations for a not-f*ing-expensive soundcard that's staaaable, reliable and works well with Ableton?

Maybe I should burrow a soundcard from someone and see how that works.

UPDATE: I just remembered that the common fact for all the problems I've had with my friends laptop, my desktop, my own laptop with M-Audio FW410 and the same laptop with Komplete Audio is that I've had MadTracker2 installed (it's an old-school tracker that I've used for ages, registered/purchased and no crack/illicit stuff). My current set-up was functioning fine for two gigs, untill recently when I installed this. I could be dead wrong but there seems like there is some logic to this - or what do you think? Gonna try and uninstall it and run Ableton again tomorrow!

[Scaper7]

What kind of Motu-card are you running, Scraper7?

MOTU Ultralite Mk3. More recently they have released MOTU Audio Express which is not so expensive. However it sounds like you might have other issues with your system. Have you tested for DPC latency? ... http://www.thesycon.de/deu/latency_check.shtml ... I would recommend testing without KA6 hooked up first.